Evaluations
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Item Evaluation of Barnardos National Wellbeing Project (Summary)(Barnardos, 2023) Hickey, Grainne; Stynes, HannahA summary of the evaluation of The Barnardos National Wellbeing Project , a trauma-informed intervention strategy for children (4 – 18 years), together with their parents and significant others in their communities.Item Evaluation of Barnardos National Wellbeing Project(Barnardos, 2023) Hickey, Grainne; Stynes, HannahTrauma and adversity have a significant and lifelong impact on health and wellbeing. Traumainformed services and supports which tackle stress and promote wellbeing are an increasing public health priority. Barnardos National Wellbeing Project is a new trauma-informed intervention strategy that aims to support children aged 4 to 18 years, parents and significant others in their communities. The programme comprises several service components rooted in the recognition of the widespread impact of trauma and the need to prevent and treat toxic stress in vulnerable populations and communities. An evaluation of the programme was carried out between March and July 2022. The evaluation findings point to the utility and potential effectiveness of the new Wellbeing Project. Children and young people were found to have significantly better emotional regulation following participation in the wellbeing supports. Potential benefits for parent wellbeing were also highlighted. Satisfaction and engagement with the intervention was also very high amongst community members. Emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties were seen as prescient concerns at a community level. The Barnardos National Wellbeing Project was seen as important in alleviating these challenges and promoting resilience. Effective implementation was a vital ingredient in the success of the Barnardos National Wellbeing Project. Expert and skilled facilitation evidenced by project workers was central to promoting engagement, enjoyment and satisfaction with the programme elements. The collaborative, interagency approach in the Wellbeing Project is also important in promoting impact.Item Evaluation of the National Early Years Service (Tús Maith)(Barnardos, 2014) Centre for Social and Educational ResearchThe evaluation of Tús Maith was undertaken by the Centre for Social and Educational Research (CSER), in collaboration with the UCD Geary Institute from 2011 to 2013. The ultimate aim of the evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of the Tús Maith programme in terms of delivery and sustainability and its impact on young children. The approach was mixed methods and quasi-experimental, incorporating a number of elements. The qualitative component included semi-structured interviews with Tús Maith staff, their project managers, the Tús Maith coach, regional and national managers, and parents. In addition, pre-and-post-programme quantitative data was collected from the children’s parents and project staff implementing Tús Maith. Changes were assessed in the four outcome areas of emotional well-being; social competence; language and literacy; and physical development. In total, 108 children from eight Tús Maith pre-school settings took part in the study. In addition, a comparison group of 179 children from nine alternative pre-school settings also participated. It was found that Tús Maith cohort had a higher percentage of Traveller children, while the comparator cohort had no Traveller children.Item Better Finglas Interagency Evaluation Report(Barnardos, 2018) Walsh, KathyFinglas was one of thirteen locations in Ireland selected to participate in the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme. The programme was initially developed as a three year cross-departmental initiative which was jointly funded by the Irish Government, through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and by Atlantic Philanthropies. The ABC Programme is jointly managed by the Centre for Effective Services and Pobal. The Better Finglas Programme (Better Finglas) was developed by a wide consortium of agencies, organisations, groups, and individuals working in the Finglas area. The consortia included the Health Service Executive, Dublin City Council, Finglas Cabra Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Tolka Area Partnership, Dublin City Childcare Committee, Tusla, Barnardos, An Garda Síochána, early years settings, primary schools and youth services. Barnardos was asked to take on, and subsequently took on, the role of lead agency with responsibility for the day-to-day management and administration of the programme. Better Finglas has a vision of a community where all services - voluntary, statutory and community - are working together with families to improve the developmental, health and educational outcomes of young children living in the area. Its objectives are to: • Increase access to evidence-based programmes and evidence-informed activities from pre-birth to eight years. • Enhance parenting skills and increase parental capacity to support their children’s development. • Improve children’s developmental outcomes. • Improve children’s literacy in first and second class. • Increase the capacity of service providers to deliver high quality and evidence-based programmes with fidelity in an appropriate, timely, and sustainable manner. • Increase both use and community awareness of service provision. • Build on effective interagency working to deliver a continuum of co-ordinated, high quality services. Better Finglas sought to realise this vision through the provision of evidence-based programmes and quality services to children (aged up to eight years) and parents of children (from pregnancy to 11 years of age). Better Finglas has five key strands of activities as follows: Pregnancy and New Parents; Parenting; Early Years; Literacy; and Interagency.Item Computer Characters: Barnardos' Participatory IT Project for Children, Galway(Barnardos, 2004) Bernadine, BrandyBarnardos (West and Midlands Region) received funding for a children’s IT project from the national ‘Children’s Hour’ initiative in 2000. The Project was initiated out of concern at an emerging ‘digital divide’ between those children who are benefiting and those who are being left behind by the information society. The ‘Computer Characters’ project aimed to increase and improve the access to and usage of information technology as a tool for learning by disadvantaged children and their families. The project was also designed as a ‘participatory’ project, children and their families would have an input into the design, operation and evaluation of the project. The pilot project was of one year’s duration. The project commenced training in October 2003 and finished in July 2004.